Jan. 7 - Former U.S. Governor Bill Richardson and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt visit Pyongyang for talks on the release of a US citizen. Jessica Gray reports.

▲ Hide Transcript

▶ View Transcript

Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson arrives in the North Korean capital on a controversial mission to help secure the release of Korean-American tour guide, Kenneth Bae.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON SAYING:
"This is a private humanitarian visit. We are here as individual American citizens looking into the humanitarian issues. We are going to ask about the American detainee who is here. We are interested in economic and political situation. We are concerned about the missile launches. We are concerned about the importance of a dialog."
Richardson is in Pyongyang with Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, seen here arriving at Beijing International airport on his way to North Korea.
The trip comes at a time of great tension between the two Koreas after the North's missile launch last month and has prompted criticism from the White House.
The former Governor has made several such trips to the impoverished state and said talks wouldn't involve U.S. government interests.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products: